This invention relates to hand-held measuring and cutting devices, specifically to such devices used for measuring and cutting pliable tubing and cordage.
Rubber tubing and various pliable tubing and cordage, roping, etcetera, are typically supplied in long continuous lengths. A wide variety of professions and businesses utilize these bulk, continuous length materials, but measuring and cutting these materials to a pre-determined and useful length is cumbersome and time consuming.
Currently the only practical and affordable means to cut a long length of pliable material to the size required is by first measuring with a tape measure and then cutting with a straight razor or shears. This method, though utilitarian, is time consuming, awkward, and dangerous.
A number of inventions have addressed the safety issue of the cutting operation of this current practice such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,291 to Crum (1999). Crum""s invention, while providing an enclosed blade, provides awkward access to the blade, utilizes needless tube clamping devices, and does not address the measurement issue. U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,083 to Domonoske (1993) also fails to address the need of a built in measuring device, and does not provide for the application of force necessary to shear more resilient materials.
With respect to these two previous inventions, while possibly eliminating the safety issues of the current measuring and cutting practice, they do not simplify the operation or provide an effective way of measuring the tubing being cut. The measurement process, being the most awkward and cumbersome part of the current measuring and cutting process, has been ignored.
Aside from the obvious shortcomings of the previous inventions, not exclusively a lack of measuring capabilities, their intended functionality is impaired due to the following mechanical disadvantages:
(a) Domonoske""s and Crum""s inventions are lacking any type of measuring device.
(b) Crum claims safer and quicker access to the blade of his invention than is provided in other cutters that utilize a spring-loaded blade. However, his claim that external access to the blade, provided by his invention, is superior to cutting devices that do not provide such access, is arguable. He does not consider alternative means of decompressing the spring or springs prior to disassembly, nor does his invention foresee alternative and simpler means to do so. In practice, Crums"" device is actually more time consuming and awkward to use than other devices which do not have external access to the blade.
(c) Crum""s use of external clamping devices is indeed novel, however, in practice the clamps do not support the material at the cutoff point and therefor do nothing to enhance the quality of the cut. The current process of measuring and cutting pliable tubing and cordage is neither simplified nor made less time consuming by the use of Crums"" device.
(d) Crum further proposes forced air ejection of scrap material, inevitably invoking further safety precautions by the operator, such as eye protection.
(e) Domonoske""s invention in actual practice provides no leverage to apply the needed force necessary to shear or even penetrate a resilient tubing. Lacking other means of actuating the cutting blade other than the force of an operators single finger, this device is awkward and difficult to use. While providing for a partially enclosed blade thereby eliminating some, but not all of, the exposed blade danger, the current process of measuring and cutting pliable tubing and cordage is neither simplified nor made less time consuming by this device.
Accordingly, the following advantages and objects of the present invention are:
(a) to provide a hand-held cutting device incorporating an attached measuring device;
(b) to provide a hand-held cutting device with simplified access to internal mechanisms including a method or means to release spring tension prior to disassembly thereby facilitating safe blade changing;
(c) to provide a hand-held cutting device wherein extraneous clamping devices are not required, and further provide internal support precisely at the cut-off point through critical proximity of existing elements, thereby negating the need of a separate support entity or clamp;
(d) to provide a hand-held cutting device with safe and quick scrap ejection, and the facility to quickly and safely unclog the ejection device should the need arise;
(e) to provide a hand-held cutting device with an entirely enclosed blade, and ergonomic controls capable of facilitating comfortable operation, not exclusively, application of required force. The overall form and function thereby simplifying the current practice of measuring and cutting pliable tubing and reducing the time spent engaged therein.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.